The Things That Mark Sees

2018/08/06

It's been a bit since I've posted things I've noticed here. I tend to post links to articles and memes of interest on FB as that's where most of my social connections lie. But I distrust it and expect that it will be superseded by something at some point. In any event, I'll keep my little corner of the web here which my domain registration points to for the nonce.

We tried to sell the house three years ago and it fell through at the last minute. We're getting position to attempt again as soon as the market improves. I'd love to be in the position of living up north during the summer and having someplace small to live in Houston in the winter. We shall see what we can organize that way.

In the meanwhile, I'm plugging away at work and looking forward to the next travel adventure.

2015/03/26

"After the respected neoconservative and the clownish warmonger you have a guy who might simply be certifiable: former CIA Director James Woolsey, perhaps the champion at being the biggest purveyor crap in the lead up to the Iraq War, which is saying something because the competition is intense. He may be the only former high level official still holding on to Saddam Hussein being the mastermind of 9/11.

Like everything else with Cruz's campaign, this really is if not the first then the ultimate Fox News candidacy. Like Cruz himself, the effort is not just extreme but focused less on implementation than provocation and histrionics. Even Cruz doesn't seem to go in for nutball conspiracy theories. But his favorite experts do. Basically it's just as bad as you might have expected with Cruz or perhaps worse."

2014/06/10

Benjamin Moberg hits the nail on the hit (gently) and references some wonderful people and efforts underway to support parents who come from conservative backgrounds about how to simply love their children in the midst of chaos and confusion.

"At the Gay Christian Network there were a number of parents present wearing large buttons that saidFree Dad Hugs! andFree Mom Hugs! ready with arms wide open for the kids whose parents cut them out. Told them off. Said they loved them, but hated their sexuality. In a quiet room of the hotel we were at, these proxy parents held these orphaned kids. Held them close. Prayed over them and told them they loved them.

I tell you, friends, resurrection always wins, even in the dark- for that matter,especially in the dark. God is near."

"Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention who is not a family therapist, who has (to my knowledge) no gay kids of his own, wrote a blog post about how parents should react to a gay son or daughter coming out to them. It was, as expected, unhelpful. But his post is nothing compared to John MacArthur’s video, in which he said that the Christ-like response to a child coming out is too shun them. To disown them. To, in John’s words, “turn them over to Satan.”

So, I thought I’d pen my own advice, from experience. This is for all the parents with closeted gay kids. These are words you need to hear.

If your son or daughter comes out to you, go to them. Hold them. Whisper your love and kiss their forehead and make them feel your love. Say it again and again and again because here’s the deal: The faith many of us were raised in told us this was a deal-breaker. That this love between you was not strong enough for this. And odds are, your kid is thinking there’s a chance you might not love them anymore and a chance that your lying if you say you do. If there was ever a moment to step up as a parent and love your baby, now is it. You don’t get a redo."

2014/06/09

John Aravosis talks about the strains on the fabric of the community of not-straight people and what it all means using the on-going attacks of Dan Savage by some in the trans community as an entre into his essay.

"If we don’t figure out how to continue the mission, if we don’t foster the relationship between Ls, Gs, Bs and Ts; between younger members of the community and their elders; between our brethren of different races and genders and sexual orientations and gender identities — if we don’t stop being, and making people, afraid to ask questions and talk about the things we might not understand and might not even agree on – I fear that, sometime soon, a good and important chunk of our community is going to take its big pink ball and go home."

2014/05/03

"There will always be Christians, Muslims, and Jews who condemn homosexuality. There will be bigots, bashers, and demagogues. And in some places, particularly in Africa and Asia, there will be persecution and oppressive laws. But in this country, religious resistance is crumbling. It’s being overwhelmed by love, conscience, and a God who keeps creating gay kids, even in the most devout families. Over time, He will prevail." -- William Saletan